Tag: cookies

We’ve recently become Cheryl’s Cookies converts around here, after having received a generous gift basket delivery of their buttercream cookies. (Now that’s a friend.) And now…they’re our newest sponsor! Which makes us very happy. If, very hungry, because we’ve spent an inordinate number of hours browsing their site this past week. It’s amazing how many incredible, affordable treats they offer that make thoughtful and convenient holiday gifts. (ZOMG, cookie cards!) From their famous buttercream frosted cookies in the cutest shapes and designs, to make-your-own kits for kids, holiday tins and giant towers…well, just saying, be careful browsing on an empty stomach....

This is a sponsored message from Mrs. Fields It’s always a good time for the heroes in your community to get the recognition they deserve. And here, that recognition also comes with a $5000 donation to their favorite charity and a local hometown hero event, all courtesy of Mrs. Fields. Nominating your own hero in your life is easy! Is it your child’s teacher? A volunteer fireman? A neighbor who’s always looking out for everyone else? Your own grandmother? Whoever it is, share their name at the Share Your Hero website, with a brief explanation of why they deserve this award. One worthy hero will be...

I have a confession: I’m a recovering cereal addict. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and have on occasion—and, would eat it at every snack time if I could. As would my kids. In fact, cereal is one my of our secret ingredients when making a few of my favorite go-to homemade snacks for the kids. So easy, since we tend to have some of them around the house anyway. (I mean, have you seen our original homemade baked bereal milk donut video tutorial? Win!) However like so many other parents, I’m not down with a steady diet of foods containing artificial...

We love the idea of romantic valentine’s gifts for him that don’t break the bank, which is why we scoured the web for some of the coolest ideas for the lucky man in your life that all happen to be under $50. Of course, we won’t discourage a bigger, more expensive gift, of course, but we think these still get the Valentine’s Day message across. Just don’t forget the card! All gift ideas have been determined by our editorial staff. There is no compensation for recommendations. Cool Mom Picks is an Amazon and Reward Style affiliate. Check out more of our Valentine’s...

I love looking for crafty DIY Valentine’s Day gifts that my kids can make, and I hope you like when I look for them for you. Because my criteria, I think, are fairly straightforward, and ones I bet a lot of you can relate to as well: 1) Do I own any of that stuff? 2) If I don’t own any of that stuff can I easily get it? 3) Can my kids actually do most of the work and if not, will I complain about it? 4) Will the end result look anything like the photos? Even a little?...

It’s unmistakable, emoji are everywhere! So of course my kids are begging for an emoji party. They are like the new My Little Pony. The new Cabbage Patch Kids. The new Pet Rocks. (Ha.) I am waiting for Time Magazine to give their 2015 Person of the Year cover to the little winking face with the tongue sticking out, and call it The Year of the Emoji. (It could happen.) With that in mind, and to help stave off the begging from my kids, I’ve scoured the web for tons of the coolest ideas for how to throw an emoji party that kids...

We all know, of course, that the amount of money you spend on a Father’s Day gift has no correlation with love whatsoever. Not that there’s anything wrong with splurges. But if you’re on a tight budget, if you’re not a spendy gift kind of a family, or if you have the kind of dad on your list who really is just comfortable with a small token, we’ve got you covered with 17 super cool Father’s Day gift ideas for you that all ring in under $25. They’re also great for kids who are saving their allowances, and maybe buying their very own...

Mother’s Day is coming up and this hungry mama can’t think of a better way to mark the occasion than with fantastic edible Mother’s Day gift ideas. I’ve rounded up 8 amazingly tasty finds from some of our favorite gourmet and artisanal purveyors, which are especially perfect if you can’t be there in person with her on May 10 — or maybe you just want a little extra something sweet shipped to her door to remind her of just how sweet she is to you and the rest of the family. Who says it’s just a man’s heart that can...

Evidently moms as custom superheroes are the hot new thing this week. First we found genius custom superhero action figures, and now it’s custom supermom cookies out just in time for Mother’s Day. From NYC favorite shop Eleni’s — where I spent way too much time on my lunch hours when I worked across the street — comes this very clever idea to celebrate myriad supermom powers, like learning out how to do the new new math that makes no sense, and magically knowing when the kids are playing Minecraft on the iPad under the covers instead of sleeping. Related: The coolest personalized...

There are a lot of crazy food holidays (I’m looking at you, National Marzipan Day), but some seem totally reasonable to me. And by reasonable, I mean I’m happy to have an excuse to celebrate. Case in point: World Nutella Day. I will never complain complain about having an excuse to eat Nutella. And likewise, I will never complain about eating today’s official honoree, the French macaron. Yes, today is Macaron Day and we absolutely approve. To celebrate Macaron Day, I’ve gathered some tips on baking macarons, then tracked down some outrageously delicious macaron recipes for you to try out. And hey, if you’re not a...

I absolutely love homemade treats for Valentine’s Day, but not all of us have the time–or the talent, speaking for myself loudly and clearly. Also, shipping cookies yourself to a loved one who’s out of town can be less than ideal, as I once discovered firsthand. So I started looking around Etsy for some creative Valentine’s cookies and wow! There is so much talent and ingenuity out there that goes beyond heart-shaped sugar cookies. So I put together some of my very favorites, all of which support small bakers around the country. Also, small gyms around the country. At least if you plan on eating all these cool...

Santa may have a team of elves working for him (not to mention a name-taking Mrs. who pretty much keeps the whole show together), but the rest of us are running on fumes by Christmas Eve, and with little back up to boot. Still, cookies must be made. Because once every gift is finally in order, right before the lights go out, Santa (ahem) needs a snack. Any one of these 5 easy Christmas cookie recipes can be made without stress at the very last minute for a perfect treat for Santa. Gingerbread Cookies I was not born with the cookie...

If you would love to decorate cookies with the kids but have a to-do list as long as mine, my new favorite, and delicious, shortcut to easy Christmas cookies may work for you. It’s those amazing, pure butter shortbread cookies from Walkers, the Scottish company that you can find all over the place. Unlike some other store-bought cookies, Walkers’ aren’t made with a bunch of preservatives or ingredients like hydrogenated-or-high-fructose anything. If you’ve never looked at the label, there are only four ingredients: wheat flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Just like I’d make, if I didn’t have that pesky to-do list. So for easy cookie decorating, I...

I won’t pretend to understand why my son’s sandwiches, pancakes, and cheese slices taste better when they’re cut into animal shapes, but if using cookie cutters means he’ll eat more than a few nibbles of food, I’m happy to oblige. I like my shapes to be seasonal (yes, I admit this), so I’m all about this Woodland cookie cutter set, which is perfect for the holidays and beyond. Update: Regretfully, the great.ly shop is no longer in operation. We hope you’ll find other cool stuff you love throughout our site. If you’ve got a picky eater of your own or a child who loves to...

With 8 days of gift giving, Hanukkah is a time for creativity: Something they need, something they want, and so on and so forth until you get to something they can eat. These edible gifts for Hanukkah are a perfect addition to the holiday mix and also make great hostess and family gifts. There’s a tasty little treat in here for everyone, from big to small, silly to gourmet. Edible gifts for Hanukkah for kids Ugly Hanukkah Sweater Cookie Why should Christmas get all the ugly sweater fun? These adorable Ugly Hanukkah Sweater cookies are hysterical and, made...

I’m taking a stand: No more seasonal cookie cutters for a single use. If I can’t use the cookie cutter for multiple purposes I’m not buying it, and I don’t think you should either. Now we just have to figure out how to use the pile of cookie cutters that we already have! With Halloween coming up, I found seven easy, delicious ways to use your pumpkin-shaped Halloween cookie cutters. Now you just have to find them in that junk drawer. PS: If you don’t already own pumpkin-shaped Halloween cookie cutters, now you can officially buy a set. You’re welcome. These...

I hate to admit it now, but I was one of those first time moms who didn’t feed my son cookies until he was nearly two. I am proud to say that I was much more relaxed the second time around, and I’d like to think that I would have been more measured from the beginning had there been healthy cookies for toddlers when my kids were little like these two new options. It may be too late for me, but there’s still time for you toddler moms and dads to adopt a healthy, everything-in-moderation approach to snacking thanks to...

I just cooked to say I Love You. And Superstar, and Happy Birthday, and pretty much any message up to 17 letters that can be stamped into a cookie. Thanks to this genius customizable Cookie Stamper, you can customize any message with letters, numbers, hearts, stars–even plenty of exclamation points!!! Each kit comes with a wooden stamper, a silicone base that resists heat, and an entire sunny alphabet of non-stick letters, numbers, icons, and punctuation. Whether you’re making cookies for a new mom, planning racy treats for your anniversary, looking for creative DIY teacher gifts for the holidays, or just want a...

Summer is whizzing by and before you know it, the peaches, tomatoes and corn will be gone. Before summer produce makes its sad exit, you’ll want to be sure to get in all the great summer cooking you can. The good news is that summer cooking is all about a light touch. It doesn’t get all that intense, except maybe when making homemade pie dough. (Though pssst, every single one of these summer pie recipes can be made with store bought dough). The even better news is that I’ve got five awesome cookbooks for summer that aren’t your typical summer cookbooks–no grilling books,...